Plunger lift with inserted outlet



Dec. 17, 1935. '5, EVANS PLUNGER LIFT WITH INSERTED OUTLET Filed May 14, 1954 INVENToR.

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Patented Dec. I7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Seth Evans, Houston, Tex., assignor to Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,612

3 Claims.

My invention relates to plunger lift devices employed in raising liquid from deep wells by means of pneumatic pressure.

'Ihe invention resides in the provision of a novel and compact arrangement of the eduction tube whereby the height of the apparatus above the surface may be decreased.

I also desire to provide a novel seat or stop member for the lower end of the eduction tube. My aim is to make the structure as compact as possible and to provide a stop for the plunger which is-light and less liable to breakage than the usual stop member and which is not liable to excessive vibration in use.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through the upper part of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a similar view through the lower part of the device shown in Fig. 1.

The well is shown as equipped with a casing I. Said casing has a head 2 with a side opening 3, to which is connected a fluid-conducting pipe 4 for the pressure fluid. The upper end of the casing head has a ilanged connection at 5 with a ilow head 6.

Said flow head is shown with a lateral outlet port I for the fluid being pumped. An opposite port is shown as being closed by a plug 8.

The ilow head 6 is connected at its lower end with a nipple Il extending downwardly into the casing for a suitable distance. At its lower end the nipple 9 is connected into an adapter lil, which is swaged inwardly and connected to the eduction tube Il. The inner portion of the adapter I0 forms a seat to receive the lower end of the eduction tube outlet pipe I2, perforated at I3 to provide an outlet to the interior of the nipple 9 and to the outlet port 1 for the fluid being pumped.

The upper end of the outlet pipe I2 fits closely in the upper end of the flow head 6 and an extension therefor is provided by means of the pipe I4 which connects with the gate valve mem ber I5. Above the gate valve a nipple Io connects with a housing I'I having therein a flexible shock absorbing sleeve I8 having a spring I9 above the same to support the sleeve resiliently in its lower position. The upper end of the housing is closed by a plug 2U screwed therein. A vent from the housing is formed at 2|, said vent being normally closed by a plug.

The lower end of the eduction tube has a sleeve 22 secured thereon. In the lower end of said sleeve is a tubular plug 23, the upper end of which forms a support for a compression (Cl. 10S-52) spring 2f?, which supports a stop plate 25 and holds said plate resiliently against a seat 26 formed by an inner shoulder on the sleeve 22. The stop plate has an annular downward extension about which the spring 2Q is fitted, thus 5 maintaining the stop plate in alignment with the seat. Perforations through said seat lead to the interior of said annular extension.

The plunger is of the usual construction. It has a tubular body 21 iitting freely within the 10 tube II. A valve 28 is supported normally in open position below its seat 29 by a lower support 3I secured to the plunger body. A stem 30 on the valve projects below the support to contact with the stop plate 25 by which it is moved 15 to closed position.

This device operates as does the usual plunger lift device. When the plunger drops after an 'upward stroke it passes through such liquid as has risen above the stop plate and the contact of the valve stem with the plate will be broken by the spring and the valve will be closed. Gaseous fluid produced by the well or forced into the casing through pipe 1I will depress the liquid level in the well andv enter the lower end of the tube. It will there accumulate and raise the plunger with its load of liquid to the surface and there discharge it into the outlet nipple 9 from which it is conducted upwardly to the outlet 'I and from thence to a'separator or to storage, not shown.

The gate valve I5 is normally open and the plunger passes upwardly above the outlets into the closed upper eid ofv the eduction tube extension where it is stopped and the valve 28 opened by the compressed gas or liquid above it. The shock absorber I8 is provided for emergencies where the uid above the plunger fails to sto-p it. If the plunger is to be stopped and taken out for any reason, the vent 2| will be opened 40 allowing the plunger to be moved upwardly past the valve 5 by the pressure uid below it, and then the gate valve may be closed to trap the plunger from dropping back.

The location of the outlets from the eduction 45 tube to discharge liquid into a Aseparate nipple below the surface makes the device more compact above the ground. Also the air or gas which is discharged following the liquid will more effectively clear the upper end of the device 50 of the liquid. It cheapens the cost of the apparatus and is a source of economy.

The stop plate is more effective than usual in use due to the fact that the spring can be held constantly under some compression, and the 55 used without choking the passage as is now experienced with the usual type of shock absorber.

' What I claim as new is:

1. A plunger lift device including a well casing, a nipple extending downwardly into said casing, a iiow head connected with the upper end of said nipple, an outlet from said flow head,

Van eduction tube extending through said flow head and nipple into said casing and down toY the pumping depth, said tube having discharge openings intorthe lower end of said nipple, a plunger operated in said tube by pneumatic pressure, and a resiliently mounted stop plate for said plunger at the lower end of said tube.

2. A plunger lift device including a well casing, a nipple therein extending downwardly from the upper end thereof, an eduction tube in said casing extending through said nipple and having a fluid tight connection therewith at both ends of said nipple, an outlet from said nipple, said tube having openings therein at the lower end of said nipple to discharge fluid into the interior of 5 said nipple, and pneumatically operated meansto raise fluid in said eduction tube.

3. A well casing, a casing head thereon, a flow head having a sealing support in said casing head, a flow nipple on said flow head depending 10 into said casing, an eduction tube extending longitudinally through said flow nipple and ow' head and sealed therewith at both ends of said flow nipple and head, said eduction tube having openings discharging into said flow head toward 15 the lower end of said flow nipple, and within said well casing, and a discharge outlet on said flow head. Y

SETI-I EVANS. 

